De-bunging apparatus

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to apparatus for automatically removing a bung from the side of a barrel. The barrel is firstly placed in a cradle which is in a bung receiving position; the barrel activates a switch which causes rollers to rotate the barrel on the cradle to a position where a probe senses the bung while, simultaneously, the cradle is being rocked to a midposition; clamping turrets then move into engagement with the ends of the keg and rotate the latter on the cradle until the bung is above a continuously rotating auger which is then moved into engagement with the bung to remove it; thereafter, the turrets and probe are removed and the cradle is rocked to eject the debunged barrel.

United States Patent 1 Hodgetts DE-BUNGING APPARATUS [75] inventor:Ernest J. Hodgetts, Spruce Grove,

Canada [73] Assignee: The Molson Companies Limited,

Rexdale, Canada [22] Filed: Oct. 25, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 517,860

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data [58] Field of Search... 29/200 D,208 B, 407, 427, 29/208 R; 222/88, 83.5, 80, 185; 408/13, 8, 98, 99, 67,71; 269/267 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,174,650 3/1965Bellato 408/67 X [4 1 Sept. 23, 1975 Primary Examiner-C. W. LanhamAssistant Examiner-Victor A. DiPalma Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Anthony J.Casella, Esq.

[57] ABSTRACT The disclosure relates to apparatus for automaticallyremoving a bung from the side of a barrel. The barrel is firstly placedin a cradle which is in a bung receiving position; the barrel activatesa switch which causes rollers to rotate the barrel on the cradle to aposition where a probe senses the bung while, simultaneously, the cradleis being rocked to a midposition; clamping turrets then move intoengagement with the ends of the keg and rotate the latter on the cradleuntil the bung is above a continuously rotating auger which is thenmoved into engagement with the bung to remove it; thereafter, theturrets and probe are removed and the cradle is rocked to eject thedebunged barrel.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 1 of53,906,610

FIG. I

- Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 2 0f 5 FIG. 2

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 3 of5 3,906,610

Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 4 of5 3,906,610

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 5 of5 3906 610 DE-BUNGING APPARATUS Theinvention relates to keg de-bunging apparatus. It is recognized thatapparatus for removing bungs from the sides of kegs is not new, see forexample US. Pat. No.. 3,174,650 (Bellato) which issued on March 23,1965.

Draught beverages are usually stored in kegs which, today, areconstructed from aluminum. Kegs, allegedly of the same type, vary notonly in capacity e.g. anywhere from an average of 12.9 Imperial gallonsto an average of 13.1 gallons, but they can also vary as much as 1inches in length. Additionally, there are oval kegs, hexagonal kegs andsome almost square in crosssection. Nearly all such kegs have recessedends and a wooden bung in the side.

When empty kegs are returned to the beverage manufacturer, the bungsmust be removed before the kegs pass to the sterilizer. Obviously, andbecause the bungs are wood and have initially been driven home withforce and then have become soaked in the beverage within the keg, theyare most difficult to remove.

The type of keg contemplated to be de-bunged by the apparatus formingthe subject of the present invention has a centrally disposed tappingspigot in one end (the top or tapping end) thereof and a plurality ofradi' ally disposed indentations around the top rim. The other end (orbottom) is provided with a radially dis posed well which receives anysedimentary deposits.

Because of the above differences in size and shapes of kegs, onlysemi-automatic de-bunging machines have, heretofore, been proposed. Inother words, and once kegs have been placed in such machines in order toremove the bungs, some manual manipulation has been necessary.

It is the object of the present invention to provide fully automaticapparatus to avoid such manual manip ulation which is an extremelyimportant factor when considering todays high wages which, in the longrun, can only mean a higher priced commodity and which costs are, in themain, passed down to the consumer.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1, 2 and are part-sectional elevations taken from the right-handside of the machine;

FIG. 3 is a part-sectional elevation taken from the rear of the machine;and

FIG. 4 is a similar view to FIG. 3 but taken from the front of themachine.

Referring to the drawings, the keg de-bunging apparatus includes aframework 1 having a motor 2 (FIGS. 3 and 4) located adjacent its bottomand from which drive is imparted, via a belt 3, to a gearbox 3 and fromthe latter to a shaft 4 and then to a pulley wheel 5 via a belt 6 tofurther pulley wheel 7 fast on a shaft 8 (FIGS. 3 and 4) extending froma reduction gearbox 9 and from the latter to a main drive shaft 10.

A gear wheel 11 fast on one end of shaft is in engagement with a chaindrive 12 which passes over an idler gear 13 and a drive sprocket 14 faston one end of a shaft 16 connected to an air-clutch 15, said shaft 16carrying a pair of spaced sprocket wheels 17 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

KEG CRADLE A pair of stub-shafts 20 each extend inwardly into theapparatus from the sides thereof and serve as the mountings for sprocketwheels 18 with chain drives 21 passing over each associated pairofsprockets l7 and 18. Y a

Each stub-shaft also carries a further pair of drive sprockets 22,23(FIGS. 3 and 4) and a cradle sideplate 24. A pair of forward and rearcross-shafts 25,25 are mounted between the mutually opposed ends of thesideplates 24 as are a pair of forward and rear connecting rods 26,26.Mounted on the ends of the forward cross-shaft 25 are drive sprockets 27which obtain their drive, via chain drives 28, from the drive sprockets22. Mounted on the ends of the rear cross-shaft 25 are drive sprockets29 (FIG. 3) which obtain their drive via chain drives 30, from the drivesprockets 23. Each cross-shaft 25,25 also serves as the mounting for apair of rubber drive rollers 31, preferably having serrated or roughenedperipheries.

The forward connecting rod] 26 is connected to the upper end of a piston31 of a hydraulic ram 32 by means of which the entire cradle assembly isrocked about the stub-shafts 20 so as to assume one of three selectedpositions, i.e. forwardly and downwardly to a keg-receiving position asis shown in FIG. 1; a midposition for keg-rotating purposes as is shownin FIG. 2; and rearwardly and downwardly to a de-bung ed keg ejectingposition as is shown in FIG. 5.

The forward ends of the cradle sideplates 24 serve as the mounting forpairs of auxiliary rubber rollers which, when the cradle is rockedrearwardly and downwardly to eject a de-bunged keg as is shown in FIG.5, assume a position preventing entrance of the next keg to be de-bungeduntil said cradle is once again rocked back into keg-receiving position.

BUNG SENSING MEANS Mounted within the upper part of the framework 1 is apair of forward and rear cross-shafts 40,41 (FIG. 5) and a depending ram42. The rear cross-shaft 41 which has a rocking movement imparted to it,as will be described hereinafter, serves as the mounting for abungsensing means.

Preferably the bungs are provided with a substantially central indexingindentation in their outer face, however the present invention andparticularly its bung sensing means will also operate adequately even ifthe bungs do not have such an indexing indentation.

The bung sensing means includes a carriage indicated generally at 43having spaced pairs of idler rollers 44 with a bung sensing probe 45therebetween. The carriage 43 is pivotally connected to webs 46 whichare, in turn, pivoted about the rear cross-shaft 41 and which have across-brace 47 connected to the lower end of the ram 42.

KEG CLAMPING MEANS The outer ends of the forward cross-shaft 40 eachcarry a gear wheel 50 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 5). The inner face of each gearwheel 50 is connected to a hydraulic ram 51 and chain drives 52 leadfrom each gear wheel 50 downwardly to a further sprocket wheel 53 (FIG.3) fast on the outer end of a further stub-shaft 54. The inner end ofeach stub-shaft 54, carries a turret, indicated generally at 55 (FIGS. 3and 4) each having a series of rollers 56 and an indexing member 57.

Extending parallel with each stub-shaft 54 is an auxiliary shaft 58(FIGS. 3 and 4). Each auxiliary shaft 58 is moved towards or away fromthe centre of the apparatus by means of an'auxiliary ram 59. The rams59, as well as ram 42, are rendered operative in automatically timedsequence, when a keg in the cradle trips a pivoted switch 60 (FIGS. 3and 4) mounted on the inner face of said cradle. I

BUNG EXTRACTING MEANS An auger-holder 65 which is vertically supportedby gearbox 3, is provided with an auger 66 (FIGS. 3 and 4) at its upperend which auger is continually rotated by said gearbox 3. Theauger-holder 65 is also connected to one end of a horizontal arm 67mounted on a vertical support 69 connected to a hydraulic ram 70.

OPERATION The operation of the apparatus is such that the cradle isnormally pivoted forwardly and downwardly (as is shown in FIG. 1) readyto receive an empty keg K which still possesses its bung B. When such akeg is placed on to the cradle, it will contact switch 60 whichactivates the machine as follows: the air-clutch will be activated torotate shaft 16 and sprocket cross-shaft 17, 18 through the chain drives21 and hence, via stub shafts 20,23 chain drives 30, sprockets 29 andcrossshafts 25 drive will be imparted to the drive rollers 31 upon whichthe keg sits by gravity and which thereby cause the keg to rotate aboutits central longitudinal axis and in a longitudinal plane.

Simultaneously, ram 32 is activated to rock the entire cradle assemblyand rotating keg about the stub-shaft towards a mid-position as is shownin FIG. 2. As this is occurring, the bung-sensing means drops downwardlyto enable the idler rollers 44 to contact the side of the keg.Concurrently, the ram 42 causes said rollers 44 to exert light pressureon the side of the keg during rotation of the latter on the cradletowards a first selected position where the sensing probe 45 is located.

As soon as the probe 45 drops into the indexing in dention formed in thebung, or otherwise senses the bung when the latter is presented to itupon the aforesaid rotation of the keg as is shown in FIG. 3, drive tothe latter is terminated and the cradle will thereby be locked in itsmid-position.

As soon as drive to the cradle has been cut off, the rams 59 areactuated to move the clamping turrets 55 into engagement with the endsof the keg, as is shown in FIG. 4, whereupon the rams 51 partiallyrotate gears 50 to cause the turrets, as well as the keg, to rotate soas to bring the bung directly above the continuously rotating auger 66.The indexing members 57 will then terminate drive to the turrets.

At this time, more air is applied to ram 42 to increase the amount ofpressure of the rollers 44 on the sides of the keg.

The ram 70 is then automatically actuated so as to urge the arm 67 andsupport 69 upwardly thereby moving the auger 66 upwardly into engagementwith the bung whereby the latter will be removed from the keg.

Thereafter, hydraulic pressure to the sensing means is removed and theclamping turrets are moved axially outwardly to inoperative position.The cradle is then automatically pivoted downwardly and rearwardly sothat it will eject the de-bunged keg.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for removing a bung from the side of a keg, said apparatusincluding a. means for cradling the keg with its central longitudinalaxis disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and for rotating sucha keg about said axis towards b. means for sensing said bung when saidkeg has been rotated to a first selected position;

c. means engageable with mutually opposed ends of said keg when thelatter reaches said first position, to clamp the keg so as to inhibitlongitudinal movement on said cradle means; said clamping meansthereupon actuating (1. drive means for rotating said keg to a secondselected position where e. means are located which are adapted toextract said bung,

said clamping and said sensing means being moved to inoperative positionupon removal of said bung and said cradling means thereafter beingactuated to eject said de-bunged keg from the apparatus.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cradle means is movablefrom a keg-receiving position to a mid-position for keg-rotatingpurposes and includes pairs of driven rollers upon which the keg restsand which rotate the latter towards said sensing means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said sensing means includes apivotable carriage located above said cradle means and movable towardsand away from the periphery of the keg and having idler rollersengagablewith said periphery and a bung-sensing probe.

, 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the probe controls the driveto said drive rollers and, upon sensing the bung, deactivates saiddrive.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said end clamping meansincludes turrets of rollers and at least one indexing member, each saidturret being axially movable towards and away from engagement with itsassociated and adjacent end of the keg and having rotary drive impartedthereto whereby the keg will be rotated to said second position, saidindexing members terminating said drive to the turrets when said keg hasreached said second position.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said bung extraction meansincludes a vertically mounted continuously rotating auger locatedbeneath said keg which, when said drive to the turrets is terminated,moves upwardly into engagement with the bung to remove it from the keg.

7.-Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein, when the bung has beenremoved, said cradle moves from said mid-position to a keg-ejectingposition.

1. Apparatus for removing a bung from the side of a keg, said apparatusincluding a. means for cradling the keg with its central longitudinalaxis disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and for rotating sucha keg about said axis towards b. means for sensing said bung when saidkeg has been rotated to a first selected position; c. means engageablewith mutually opposed ends of said keg when the latter reaches saidfirst position, to clamp the keg so as to inhibit longitudinal movementon said cradle means; said clamping means thereupon actuating d. drivemeans for rotating said keg to a second selected position where e. meansare located which are adapted to extract said bung, said clamping andsaid sensing means being moved to inoperative position upon removal ofsaid bung and said cradling means thereafter being actuated to ejectsaid de-bunged keg from the apparatus.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1wherein said cradle means is movable from a keg-receiving position to amid-position for keg-rotating purposes and includes pairs of drivenrollers upon which the keg rests and which rotate the latter towardssaid sensing means.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein saidsensing means includes a pivotable carriage located above said cradlemeans and movable towards and away from the periphery of the keg andhaving idler rollers engagable with said periphery and a bung-sensingprobe.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the probe controls thedrive to said drive rollers and, upon sensing the bung, deactivates saiddrive.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said end clamping meansincludes turrets of rollers and at least one indexing member, each saidturret being axially movable towards and away from engagement with itsassociated and adjacent end of the keg and having rotary drive impartedthereto whereby the keg will be rotated to said second position, saidindexing members terminating said drive to the turrets when said keg hasreached said second position.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 whereinsaid bung extraction means includes a vertically mounted continuouslyrotating auger located beneath said keg which, when said drive to theturrets is terminated, moves upwardly into engagement with the bung toremove it from the keg.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein, whenthe bung has been removed, said cradle moves from said mid-position to akeg-ejecting position.